Urgent Alert: Strikes At the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tyre
The ICOMOS National Committee of Lebanon has issued a second urgent alert following the strikes of 7 June 2026 at the entrance of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Ancient City of Tyre, a property recently granted Enhanced Protection under the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention.
ICOMOS strongly condemns this attack on a World Heritage property and recalls that cultural property, particularly when under Enhanced Protection, must not be made the object of attack or used for military purposes.
According to ICOMOS Lebanon, the strikes damaged the entrance precinct, administration buildings, and archaeological warehouses of the World Heritage property. The full extent of the damage to the archaeological fabric cannot yet be assessed due to the security situation, but direct damage has been confirmed.
This incident follows earlier alerts concerning the reported mass evacuation order affecting the Tyre District and subsequent strikes near the ancient ruins on 27 May 2026 , as well as the deeply concerning situations at other sites under Enhanced Protection such as Chama’ Citadel and Beaufort Castle.
ICOMOS with ICOMOS Lebanon remains available to support UNESCO, the Directorate General of Antiquities of Lebanon, and all relevant authorities in any emergency documentation, damage assessment, and safeguarding measures for the Ancient City of Tyre and other Lebanese cultural heritage sites currently under threat.
